A partially speech-impaired woman was allegedly raped in the hospital lift on August 29 evening by the watchman of the Bhosari hospital where she was admitted for treatment. An orphan who lives in a shelter home,the 25-year-old victim was admitted to the hospital run by Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) on August 26 after she developed fever.

The Bhosari police have arrested the watchman,Pramod Manohar Mandekar,and a ward boy,Shailesh Jadhav,in the case. Confusion prevails as to who among the two raped the woman. A police press note has identified Mandekar as the ward boy and the main suspect. While Mandekar lives at Phuge Aaali in Bhosari,Jadhav lives in the nurses quarter.

PCMC health chief Dr Anil Roy however said that Mandekar is the watchman and Jadhav,the ward boy. Later in the evening,the police commissionerate confirmed that Mandekar had raped the woman.

The victim had lost her parents a few years ago and is partially speech-impaired. She has been staying in a shelter home. On August 26,she complained of some heatlh issues and was admitted to the hospital, said Sub-Inspector Sanjay Kandalkar of Bhosari police station.

The SI said on August 29 night,at around 8.30 pm,Mandekar and Jadhav took the victim to the hospital lift on the pretext of shifting her. They opened the lift with the help of an extra key of the lift-door and allegedly committed the act, Kandalkar said.

He said the incident came to light after the victim returned to the shelter home after being discharged on August 31. We have been told that she was nervous and kept on crying. When her caretaker inquired,she narrated the incident. The shelter home staff registered a complaint, the SI said.

The shelter home staff said the victim started crying when they were planning to shift her to YCM Hospital for further treatment. Through sign language,she said she was sexually assaulted and also identified the suspects. So we filed a complaint with the PCMC and the police, the shelter home incharge said.

An FIR was filed on August 29 and the victim was sent to Sassoon Hospital for medical examination. Hospital Superintendent D G Kulkarni said the report will be available on Monday. Both PCMC and the police were waiting for confirmation of rape till late evening.

Meanwhile the two arrested have been booked under Section 376 and 109 of IPC for rape and abetting the crime. They have been remanded to police custody till September 4. PCMC chief Shrikar Pardeshi said they have launched an investigation. We will take action after we get a report from the police, he said.